Dark Castle Shadowvania
by k6531
Summary: In 1971, Barnabas Collins is finally free of all of his demons with few if any loose ends until Alucard brings his problems; while a vampire hunter finally investigates the past five years at Collinsport.


{This is an opening, an extremely rough draft created only a half hour ago. An opening to another possible 30,000 word plus story that can directly continue off my first and only other story. See Castlevania: The Crisis of the Belmont Clan.}

In the old house of the Collin's estate on a dark night in October of 1971, Barnabas Collins relaxes reflexing on his strange fate. He had saved his family. With the destruction of Juda Zachary, the largest source of all the evil that ever cursed the family, the house was finally at peace. Roger Collins and his son David remained in residents at Collinwood with Roger's sister Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and her widowed daughter Carolyn Stoddard Hawks. Carolyn had begun to recover after the death of her husband Jeb by leaning on the family, servant Mrs. Johnson, and especially the charming distant cousin Quentin Collins who helped her greatly in the process.

Quentin Collins who was once cursed a werewolf among other things, owes his life to Barnabas. He changed greatly from when Barnabas met him before the turn of the century but his face had not aged a day. Barnabas wondered how Quentin would turn out remembering the portrait hidden upstairs and if Quentin's immortality would prove intolerable and inconceivable. Quentin would likely turn back to his playboy life style.

The real horror was for Quentin's descendant Christopher Jennings who lived with lycanthropy, his fiancée Sabrina Stuart, and his sister Amy Jennings who all left Collinsport before Barnabas resolved any cure for him.

Dr. Julia Hoffman remained at the estate still aiding the family. Barnabas believed she loved him but his heart was set on Maggie Evans, the vision of his long lost love Josette. Maggie had finally agreed to marry Barnabas only a week ago and they planed for a wedding next spring. As happy as he was he could not forget Angelique, his first wife. He had battled her through the centuries, the source of his vampirism. When she freed him, and they fought off Judah who turned out to be the source of her witchcraft, Barnabas came to finally love her despite all the evil and death she brought to his family in 1797. But her curse finally back fired, for all Barnabas loved would be lost, and so now she was lost. If it was truly over, Barnabas hoped for a life with Maggie and yet his recent love for Angelique did cause him pain. He had to forget.

Yet some fear still remained in the back of his mind. Did his current escape of the curse have any connection with the Lang creature, Adam, in 1968? What happened to Adam? Does Professor Timothy Stokes know? Stokes was still a good friend but Barnabas never revealed his connection with Adam, the creature that was given life by the evil life force of the curse drawn from Barnabas. If Adam died, Barnabas would become what he was before.

Then there was the strange letter Barnabas replied to last month from an odd stranger who knew his secret. What did he want and how dangerous is he?

"You okay, Barnabas?" Willie Loomis the trusted servant of Barnabas asked him disturbing his great concentration.

"I am fine, Willie. Is everything set, I must go pick up Maggie soon."

"Yeah, yeah, everything is set for dinner Barnabas."

" may go now Willie, have a good evening."

"Yeah, yeah, you remembered, Barnabas, I have got some plans myself, too."

"Of course."

"I'll see you tommorrow likely."

"Likely." Barnabas smiled thinking how Willie still acted in many ways like he was under his vampiric control. After Willie left, Barnabas began to light a candel when he suddenly heard a single knock on his door.

"Willie?" He wondered. He went over and opened it and saw a tall distinguished looking young man whitely pale. "May I help you?"

"Barnabas Collins?"

"Yes."

"I am your cousin, Adrian Collins, from England."

"Of course. Yes, I received your letter, and my invitation still stands, but you should have given me some word, this evening maynot be a great time for a long talk."

"Actually, you might want to cancel your plans tonight."

"Should I?"

"You maybe in danger. A powerful vampire hunter from the lines of the Belmont Clan is only miles from here now."

"Belmont Clan? Should I know or care who that is?"

"You should greatly, the truth will be discovered by Jonathan Morris and his allies. Your future could be in jeporady."

"What truth, there are no vampires in Collinsport, not anymore."

"Maybe true, until this night."

"Who are you and what is it you want? I know you have some strange power. You are wise and resouceful enough to learn some of my past. Enough to the extent that I agreed to allow this chirade publicly; that you can maskerade as my cousin from England. Only if the Collins family remained out of any danger from your involvements would I be willing to try to help you. I assume you must be as I was and you are looking for a cure. However, now it sounds like you want protecting and santuary from a band of hunters. If so, I cannot help you."

"I could make you."

"I highly doubt it, I know how to deal with your kind and I am prepared."

"I think not, but I am not hear to challenge you. I am powerful and I can likely deal with the Belmonts in a way that is convient and sensitive to your sitution. I also have nothing to fear from them. However, I need your help."

"And who are you?"

"As I token of good will, I will tell you my name, I am known as Alucard, the son of Dracula."

"Are you mad? Dare I ask what you seek, that I know?"

"I need a cure, but before that, I need to know how you managed to trancend time."


End file.
